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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23775154">Of Baubles and Tomes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequeerish/pseuds/thequeerish'>thequeerish</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Disney Princesses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:07:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,298</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23775154</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequeerish/pseuds/thequeerish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cinderella finds an alternative to her standard fairy tale ending.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cinderella/Rapunzel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Of Baubles and Tomes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Be warned, this is not your standard fairy tale ending.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the last horse’s hoof disappeared from sight into the dark underbrush of the Crown Woods, Cinderella let out a sigh of relief. During these hunts the Prince liked to show off his many estates to the men of his court. He would be gone for several days. As Cinderella turned away from the window, she recalled the moment the Prince had told her that he was going on a hunt with his Lords and nothing she could say would stop him. She had quickly replied, “Your wish is my command, my Prince”, before bending her head abruptly to smile into her clenched handkerchief. </p>
<p>Initially, Cinderella had been extremely attracted to the Prince. Not only was he very handsome and fit, he also had the sweetest breath and an innate gracefulness. There was a reason he was called Prince Charming, after all. The evening that they first met, at his ball, she was pleased to dance and spend much of the night together. While they danced, he had enchanted her with tales of where each chandelier, painting and objet d’art had been acquired. Sadly, Cinderella learned soon after the initial glow of their marriage and honeymoon waned, that that was all the Prince talked about, the prettiness of the rich items that cluttered up every room in the castle. Despite many attempts on Cinderella’s part to discuss other topics, like the importance of being kind to servants and to releasing the kingdom’s serfs from indentured servitude, he always managed to bring the conversation back to objects. That and his love of small feet.</p>
<p>The Prince’s magpie like obsession with sparkling objects meant that she could easily distract him with a bauble whenever he asked her why she frequented the stables so often. Did her Prince need to know that she was taking riding lessons? That she had created a small workshop to repurpose old garments into new ones for the serfs that worked on his farms? No. Nor did he need to know that she preferred to wear some of these garments, especially the red and black checked “flannel” (an extremely soft new fabric she had created) shirt and corduroy riding jodhpurs, instead of the confining hoop filled dresses that Princesses were expected to love. </p>
<p>But there was no time to waste ruminating on the hazards of marrying a vapid Prince. Our Princess raced to the stables where one of the stable hands had her beautiful horse waiting for her. She rushed into the adjoining room while her young maid was waiting and, with the other woman’s help, got out of the restrictive dress and into her riding clothes and tall leather boots. With her long blonde hair braided neatly and tucked under a large cap, Cinderella mounted her steed in one graceful movement. A second saddled horse on a long leather lead was brought out. As this second horse’s lead was attached to her saddle, Cinderella turned to her maid and handed her a sheaf of papers. The notes, signed by the Prince himself, released her and her people from any outstanding debts to the kingdom. She was now a free woman and no longer forced to work at the castle in order to pay off a gambling debt incurred byt her grandfather. The other woman wiped a stray tear from her own cheek.</p>
<p>“Your kindness will be missed within the castle, Princess Cinderella.”</p>
<p>“I will miss your kindness as well. I won’t miss that title.”</p>
<p>The maid nodded but otherwise remained silent. Cinderella guided her horse out of the stables and set off at a steady pace turning away from the castle, the hunt and the Prince. Riding quickly over hill and dale, she came to the edge of a small clearing. From the center of the clearing rose a very tall tower. As Cinderella rode towards it she saw a figure come to the tower’s lone window and lower what appeared to be a very thick, long rope. Cinderella halted her horses and hid with them amongst the trees. A second figure extended itself from the window and, pulling all their weight into the heft of the rope, rappelled down the side of the tower. </p>
<p>This was a phenomenon that Cinderella had spotted for the first time several months ago from the tall tower that adjoined the castle’s library, a library that the Prince only frequented to ask Cinderella why she preferred all those stuffy books to himself. The Prince was not a charming pout. Cinderella waited until the second figure had reached the ground. It was the witch. The witch grabbed her broom from the base of the tower and flew off into the clouds.  </p>
<p>Cinderella ensured that the horses’ leads were tightly secured to a tree before leaving them to graze in its shade. She grabbed a saddle bag then strode quickly to the base of the tower. When she got there she took a deep breath to calm herself. Was this really happening? She called up, “Rapunzel?”<br/>Rapunzel came to the window and smiled down at Cinderella. What a beauty! In the morning light, Rapunzel’s hair shone like spun gold. Cinderella’s heart quickened and she remembered the many days she had spent with Rapunzel reading and discussing stories while they sipped herbal tea. Without a word, Rapunzel threw down her long hair. Cinderella swiftly secured the bag to the braid, then tugged on the braid to signal it could go up. As the braid was pulled up with its cargo, Cinderella backed away from the tower and returned to her horses so that she could have a better view of her surroundings. </p>
<p>Time stood still for Cinderella while she waited for her true love. She did her best to remain alert for any unexpected visitors from the woods but, she found herself staring up at the window for lengths of time.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the long rope of hair was flung down again. Cinderella untied the horses then then walked with them over to the tower. As she approached its base, the saddle bag was thrown out and landed with a soft thud at her feet. </p>
<p>“Oh! I’m so sorry, darling, that was very close.”  Rapunzel’s concerned face leaned out of the window. As she leaned out her ample bosom was pushed towards her new flannel shirt’s neckline. Cinderella blushed and averted her eyes. Rapunzel continued, “Those are the teas you like.” </p>
<p>Her cheeks still red, Cinderella looked up again, “Come down here, please. I want to see you in your new clothes.”<br/>Rapunzel descended her now detached braid slowly until she was safely in Cinderella’s arms. They embraced quickly before Rapunzel drew a flint and stone from her pocket and lit the braid. They held hands as the fire caught up the length of the braid and licked its way into the room at the top of the tower.</p>
<p>“Was it hard to cut it off?”</p>
<p>“No. Very liberating.” Rapunzel touched the stain of ashes that the braid had left behind on the stone of the tower. “This, even more so.”</p>
<p>The two former princesses exchanged a sweet kiss before climbing onto their horses and riding far away from their gilded cages. </p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>It has been told that Cinderella died from book fever a mere two years into her marriage, that the fair Rapunzel died alone in her tower when it was consumed in a fire. </p>
<p>However, if you were to visit Fontenay sur Mer, a seaside town in the North of France, and happen into the second-hand bookstore that is a mere salty breeze from the sea, you might find two elderly ladies with deep smile lines and matching flannel shirts giggling over hot cups of herbal tea amongst the stacks of old  tomes. </p>
<p>There are absolutely no shiny baubles within the store.</p>
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